My case has a 2 pin Power LED mobo connector but my mobo needs a 3 pin connector(Even though only two wires are actually used) Any suggestion on getting this to work? Would my only hope be me finding an unused 3 pin Power LED from an junk case and cutting it then cutting my case's 2 pin Power LED and splice them together?
How does your motherboard require a 3-pin LED? What motherboard is it? If it's not 100% standard, it's pretty damn near standard that the motherboard has a block of exposed pins for you to plug the case connections to. Every computer I've ever worked on, IIRC, has had that arrangement. I'd check your motherboard wiring manual first, and if it still looks like that, come back with what m'board it is. EDIT: Please, ignore everything I have just said. I am an idiot. Zurechial has some useful suggestions...
This is actually very common and a bit of a pain in the ass. I'm not sure of the details, but there just seems to be a mismatch between case and motherboard manufacturers when it comes to the Power LED header, possibly to do with changes in the standard of LED used throughout the years, but I'm not sure of that. It can be worked-around, though. For connecting a 2-pin case connector to a 3-pin mobo header: Take your trusty scissors/snipping-tool and separate the two halves of the 2-pin connector, then simply plug them onto the appropriate pins of the motherboard header. For connecting a 3-pin case connector to a 2-pin mobo header: If the Power LED header is on the outside of the block of header pins on the motherboard, then the easiest way to get around this is to use a needle to take the end of one of the wires out of the 3rd socket on the case's connector and move it to the 2nd socket, then simply plug the connector onto the mobo header, leaving the now-unused 3rd socket overhanging the edge of the header block. Alternatively, if the Power LED header isn't on the edge of the header block you can get a scissors or wire cutter and snip that unused 3rd socket off the connector after you've moved the wire, so that it'll fit onto the header without blocking other pins or connectors. If you manage to break the connector in doing this or otherwise have any trouble, then splicing a 3-pin connector onto the case's LED wires should work fine too.
I know this is an old thread, but as I found it whilst searching for the adapter I thought I'll add where I got one - I didn't wish to muck about trying to cut a two pin plug in half and I didn't have a spare 3 pin connector to swap it with. Anyway I contacted a seller on Ebay and he's made some cables, which hopefully he'll keep selling, as this seems to be a common problem. Item number is 230575454431, or if that's no longer valid search for 2 WAY TO 3 WAY PIN HEADER ADAPTOR or contact the seller pcpartsandcables
